4-½ cups all-purpose flour (*Jen’s note: I used White Lily soft wheat flour and converted it to all-purpose measurements because I prefer the texture of this brand)

1 teaspoon regular salt

¾ teaspoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon baking soda

3 sticks (1 ½ cups) unsalted butter at room temperature

3 cups superfine sugar (*Jen’s note: I didn’t have caster sugar in my pantry, so I took granulated sugar and ground it in the food processor for about 2 minutes. It’s a more cost effective method too, as you can buy granulated sugar in bulk).

8 large eggs, at room temperature (*Jen’s note: you can quickly bring eggs to room temp by placing them in a large bowl filled with hot water for about 10 minutes)

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy and then add the sugar on low speed until smooth, scraping the bowl as necessary, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until blended and scraping the bowl occasionally. Beat in the vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon extract.

4. Reduce the mixer speed to low and alternately add the flour mixture, 1 cup at a time, and buttermilk, ¼ cup at a time, to the butter mixture, mixing until well incorporated.

5. Spread the batter into the prepared pan(s) and bake until golden brown on top and a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean, 60 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning the cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely (*Jen’s note, I used three 9-inch cake pans lined with a parchment circle and nonstick spray with flour. I baked the cakes in a convection oven and reduced the baking time by about 10 minutes).

6. To frost the cake, turn it bottom-side up onto a cake plate. Using an offset spatula spread the frosting all over the cake (*Jen’s note: I opted to tort the cake to make a multi-layer cake. I sliced each of the three individual cakes in half to make six layers. I alternated filling each layer with lemon curd, lemon-vanilla buttercream, and raspberry preserves. In the interest of time, I used Trader Joe’s brand lemon curd for the filling, which tastes fairly close to my homemade lemon curd using the Barefoot Contessa recipe).

Tip: The cake does not have a strong lemon flavor, so if you prefer a more tart/lemony cake, you can either increase the amount of lemon extract used in the batter, or you can frost the cake with a lemon flavored frosting.

In the better late than never category, I’d like to send out a not-so-gentle reminder on behalf of No Kid Hungry and Share our Strength.

…In just 10 days, this in-constant-action organization will wrap up its October initiative, spurred by two very generous “sugar daddies,” Domino Sugar and C&H Sugar.

Of course, I mean this is in the most positive interpretation of the colloquialism, because these two food industry superpowers have offered a dollar-for-dollar match on October’s Bake Sale No Kid Hungry proceeds.

If you’ve been itching to get your baking on, NOW is the time to grease those pans, melt that butter and cover the counter in flour. (It’s a good excuse for your kids to make a mess without being scolded too!)

Want to make a stand against hunger? A neighborhood or community bake sale is an effective—and tasty—way to get involved and make a positive impact.

The No Kid Hungry team is happy to receive your Bake Sale contributions all year long, but the promise of matching funds is irresistible—apparently to bakers across the country, who have raised $75,000-plus since October 1. Talk about “sweetening the pot;” at minimum now, a total value of $150,000. This is a big deal at a time when families are facing SNAP cuts along with a generally unstable economic foundation.

Whipping up a bake sale is easier than you think: With one weekend between now and October 31, and plenty of football, soccer and fall ball games happening at parks and schools across the country, you’ve got a captive audience. And, who wouldn’t want to bite into one (or three) of these tasty cupcakes (or these and these!). Click here for a gluten-free option.

Spreading the word and showing support for food-challenged families through an old-fashioned bake sale is an affordable and fun way to get your community talking about hunger. Having that time and effort rewarded with a matching gift, is the icing on the cake.